North Shore News Hour

The 2019 USSMCA National Senior Men’s Championships were held Feb 14-17 at the Duluth Curling Club at the Duluth Convention Center. Among the curlers was Bob Spry of Grand Marais.
 
Spry participated in the Masters event this year. After four days of curling, Bob's team claimed first place. Team members were Lead - Ray Mickolojak, of Superior; Second - Bob Spry, Grand Marais; Third – Dick “Doc” Fisher, Duluth; and Skip - Seppo Sormanen, Duluth.
 
The USSMCA Championship is divided into three events: Masters (16 oldest teams), Super Seniors (next 16 oldest teams), and Seniors (remaining teams).  For the Masters Division, each team member must be at least 68 years old.
 
For the Super Senior Division, each member must be at least 63 years old. Any team may request to be in the Seniors Division regardless of age, but all players must be 55 years old by February 14, 2019.
 
This is Bob Spry’s first win as a Master, but he has previous honors under his belt. He has won two times in Super Seniors and two times in Seniors.
 
WTIP’s Rhonda Silence talked to Bob Spry about taking part in this prestigious event.
 
Photos:

1. Bob Spry on the ice at the Duluth Curling Club, with Dick Fisher and Seppo Sormanen.
2. The team with their trophies. (L-R) Lead Ray Mickolojak, of Superior; Second – Bob Spry, Grand Marais; Third – Dick Fisher, Duluth; and Skip – Seppo Sormanen, of Duluth.

Photos courtesy of Bob and Millie Spry
 

Saturday, February 9 was a beautiful winter day in Grand Portage, with a sundog appearing in the bright blue sky over the Snowarama for Easter Seals Kids event. There were 160 snowmobilers registered for the day of riding that benefits the Easter Seals organization. 

This was the 16th year that the Grand Portage Lodge and Casino, Grand Portage Trail Riders and Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa joined forces with Easter Seals of Ontario to host Snowarama for Easter Seals Kids.
 
The event included trail rides, a bonfire and prizes, a delicious buffet dinner and live Saturday night entertainment, featuring Rage N Country.
 
To celebrate the 16th year at Grand Portage Lodge and Casino, the riders who collect pledges for Easter Seals will receive a chance to win  great Snowarama gifts, including a trip to Las Vegas. Riders received one chance to spin a big prize wheel for each $100 that they raise.
Little Emily Pike, this year’s Easter Seal Ambassador enjoyed a day of riding with her family and fulfilled her duty of drawing the prize tickets.

The top fundraisers were all from Thunder Bay – Wayne Muloin raised $7,660. Jeremy Moore raised $2,602 and Jennifer DeCorte raised $951. A total of $42, 000 was raised for Easter Seals in 2019, bringing the 16-year total to $493,698 for children and youth with physical disabilities. Funds raised at this event help provide financial assistance for children with physical disabilities for essential mobility and communication equipment and fully accessible summer camping opportunities.

 WTIP’s Rhonda Silence joined the fun on Saturday, talking to riders, organizers and of course, Easter Seal Ambassador Emily Pike. Here’s her report.
 

The Cook County Girl Scouts are hosting the 10th Father Daughter Dance on Tuesday, February 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the School District 166 cafeteria. 

A grand march will take place at 7 p.m., so moms and friends can see the girls and dads all dressed up. 

However, the rest of the evening belongs to the girls and dads, with live music by the North Shore Community Swing Band. The event will be catered by Alyce’s and there will be pictures by Bruce Johnson and something special for the girls to take home. 

Girls are welcome to attend with dads, grandfathers or any other trusted adult. 

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence talks to local Girl Scout leader Arvis Thompson about past dances and about this year’s event. 

The Cook County Robotics team—Team Ice Storm—has been hard at work in recent weeks, sorting through parts left behind from previous years and figuring out what else is needed to construct a robot that will do what needs to be done in competition.

Team members are assembling motors to make the robot move, others are working on coding and wiring. Still others are attaching arm mechanisms and lights.

Other team members are working on publicity for the event—designing buttons and t-shirts.

The team is preparing for a preliminary competition in Grand Rapids on Sunday, February 17. And the main event for teams from all over the region is at the Duluth Convention Center on March 6-9.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence visited the School District 166 industrial tech area to see how things are going for Ice Storm. Here’s her report.
 

Each week the Cook County Sheriff’s Office provides a brief report of calls made to the Cook County Law Enforcement Center in the past week. This week’s report provides information logged by law enforcement dispatchers from Tuesday, February 5 to Sunday, February 10.

WTIP Community Radio asked for more details on a number of calls, such a report of an explosion in Tofte on February 6. The Sheriff’s Office explains it was an issue with an air handling unit at Bluefin Bay Resort. There were no injuries.

There was a call reporting suspicious activity on February 5 which turned out to be a maintenance person in the Border Patrol building.

There was a call of an unwanted person at a residence in Grand Portage. The person left peacefully and there were no charges.
There was a “check welfare” call for a person with mental health issues. The matter was referred to Cook County Public Health and Human Services.

Deputies assisted with traffic control at an accident on Highway 61 on February 6 and responded to a vehicle in the ditch on 5th Avenue West in Grand Marais on February 7. The vehicle was gone on arrival.

There were two calls for vehicles in the ditch on February 8. The first one hit a pole on West 5th Street in Grand Marais. The vehicle was gone when the deputy arrived. The second slid into the ditch on Kelly’s Hill Road. The vehicle needed a tow.

A caller near Cascade River on Highway 61 reported a swerving vehicle on February 8.

Sheriff deputies checked on a broken down semi. A caller reported a car parked on County Road 7 in Grand Marais that had been plowed around several times.

There were a few items lost and found: a wallet lost at the Gunflint Tavern, a set of keys somewhere on the Gunflint Trail, and a debit card. The debit card owner was located.

Cook County deputies were asked to check on a dog tied up outside at a residence in Grand Marais. The dog was gone when the caller checked again. There was another report of a loose dog on February 8.

Another animal call was a report of a car-killed wolf on Highway 61 on February 9.

Law enforcement handled a number of “public assist” calls ranging from a party needing to contact someone in another county to someone needing to contact someone in Kansas. Another caller needed a phone number for a furnace repair person.

A domestic disturbance call was received from Grand Portage on February 7. It was a case of two juveniles arguing. There were no charges.
 
Heavy snow led to several calls on February 8 on Wahlstrom Road, County Road 60 and Creechville Road. Vehicles parked there were possible hazards to plows. Deputies spoke with owners.

On February 9, a vehicle stuck in the ditch on County Road 7 requested a tow. Later that day, deputies assisted with pulling a U.S. Forest Service vehicle out of the snow. On February 10, deputies responded to a report of a possible drunk driver. The party was not found when the deputy arrived in the area.

There was a call reporting trouble with a juvenile who left home. The party was found at a relative’s home and was going to stay there.

Deputies responded to a disturbance on Ski Hill Road in Lutsen for a loud party in a room. The deputy spoke to tenants and they said they will quiet down.

On February 10, law enforcement dispatchers fielded a complaint about the fog horn in the harbor.

Deputies assisted with a snowmobile traffic stop on February 10 and also responded to a call from a snowmobiler running out of gas.

Cook County assisted the U.S. Forest Service by providing license plate and driver’s license information.

The log included 11 medical calls. There were 10 traffic stops that resulted in warnings and one ticket was issued.

Law Enforcement Center dispatchers handled seven misdialed or crank 9-1-1 calls.

Deputies participated in Operation Stone Garden, assisting the U.S. Border Patrol on February 7 and 10.

This week’s law enforcement log also included over 35 business and residence checks. Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Valerie Marasco explained that some of those checks are requested by property owners. Others are part of deputy foot patrols, during which deputies check for open doors. All of the checks are conducted randomly.
 

Cook County/Silver Bay skiers followed up on their great showing at the Section Meet at Giant’s Ridge with another stellar day at the State Meet back at Giant’s Ridge on February 13.  

Reilly Wahlers was the top Viking skier, putting together two solid runs and finishing in 10th. That earned her a spot on the stage with the other top 10 skiers in the state.

The other members of the State girls’ team were Sela Backstrom, finishing in 53rd; Kalina Dimitrova, 68th; Elsa Lunde 69th; and Emma Sexauer, 78th. The girls’ team finished 8th.

Will Surbaugh was the lone skier for the Viking boys and he skied well, coming in 38th in the large state field.

WTIP’s Rhonda Silence checked in with Alpine Ski Coach Charles Lamb to hear his thoughts on the very successful showing at State.

Photos courtesy of the Cook County/Silver Bay Alpine team
 

The Creative Economy Collaborative (CEC) has been in the making since 2015. The intent of the CEC is to contribute to the social and economic future of Cook County through the arts. The CEC has involved government officials, some business owners and many artists.

The group recently released a report, "Leveraging Creativity: Cook County Cultural Plan." And, in recent months, the CEC has been working with the City of Grand Marais and the Highway 61 Steering Committee on the amenities that may be installed along the highway corridor passing through the city. 

To learn more about the CEC and how it working with the city on the Highway 61 project, WTIP's Rhonda Silence spoke with Cook County/Grand Marais Economic Development Authority Executive Director Mary Somnis and Grand Marais Art Colony Artistic Director Ruth Pszwaro about the CEC and the highway project. 

Here's that conversation. 

WTIP is sad to share the news that Norman Deschampe, chair of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, passed away on Saturday, February 9.
 
Norman served in the tribal chairman position for about 28 years. He also served on the executive committee of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, whose members are of the Grand Portage, Bois Forte, Fond Du Lac, Leech Lake, Mille Lacs and White Earth bands.
 
He served on the current Tribal Council with Vice-chair Marie Spry, Secretary/Treasurer April McCormick, and Council Members John Morrin and William “Bill” Meyers.
 
WTIP’s Rhonda Silence reached out to some people who worked with Norman. First we hear from Gary Frazier, executive director of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe.

And then WTIP spoke with Grand Portage Tribal Council Vice-Chair Marie Spry, who is serving as interim chair.

Services will be held Wednesday, February 13 - visitation at 9:30 a.m., services at 11 a.m. at the Grand Portage Community Center. Luncheon to follow. ​

Photo: All of the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa council members were on hand for the grand reopening of the Grand Portage Lodge & Casino in July 2018. (L-R) Chairman Norman Deschampe, John Morrin, Vice-Chair Marie Spry, Secretary/Treasurer April McCormick, and Bill Meyers. Photo by Rhonda Silence